Sunday, September 1, 2013

Because each of us has different gifts and abilities, we must rely on one another in a mindset of teamwork to maximize the human potential. Not one person possesses every talent. No one person can do everything with exceptional aptitude. Some people can sing, some can draw and others are good at math. There are people with thumbs so green they can make flowers bloom under any earthly conditions. There are those who are superior servants and others who are great at giving.

Do you ever envy the gifts of others? Do you ever want to be able to do the things someone else can do and never get the hang of it, only to spend wasted time trying to be something you weren't meant to be. We must recognize the gifts in others in order to grow our own strengths and strengthen mankind. We should not be envious of another's gifts and we should not be irritated by our differences. Realizing our own gifts and appreciating the talents of others helps us to achieve our individual goals as well as our goals as a community.

If we were supposed to depend solely on ourselves, each of us would be completely self sustainable, completely independent and capable of all things.
Embrace diversity as it is the founder of unity.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

The Curse of Yama: Book 1 of The C Walker Adventureseries is FREE on kindle May 29th, 2013 - June 2nd, 2013. Middle-Grade Teachers, now is a great time to check out some new reading for next year.

Dumb old curse... When Dad unwittingly
unleashes upon himself a deadly and ancient curse, it’s up to
12-year-old Chloe Walker to come to the rescue. Once the entire family
is deep within the Indian rainforest, Chloe and her local friend, Sotol,
head out to find a cure for the illness that threatens her father’s
life. To find the Golden Seed, Chloe and Sotol risk life and limb,
facing ruthless poachers, desolate elephant burial grounds, and the
fantastical wilds of nature. With a magical amulet, arguing gibbons, a
mama tiger on the run, and an impossible rope bridge that only a nut
would try to cross—Chloe is on the adventure of a lifetime. Decode the
map, find the seed, and defeat Yama. No problem... Yeah Right!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

The C Walker Adventures continues with an unparallelled adventure in this exciting sequel, The Castle of Family Secrets. The Walker family goes to Scotland to stay with Chloe's crazy aunt and uncovers an underworld that holds the hidden truths of her family's legacy. Unicorns, Pegasus and elusive shadows are just under Chloe's feet while Dr. C. Y. Clops tries to keep things in check. Can Chloe protect the family secret and keep these mythological creatures in the world of legends? With her knack for mischief, Chloe goes above and beyond in this episode. Trouble.....here she comes.

Friday, December 7, 2012

A new biweekly online magazine, Books Make a Difference, celebrates the written word. If you want to be "in the know" about the world of reading, writing and illustrating take a look at Books Make a Difference. I had the pleasure of interviewing the senior writer, Meagan Franks. Thanks so much for joining me on my blog.

How did books make a difference come to life?

Karen Pavlicin-Fragnito, the publisher of Books Make a Difference magazine has had the idea in her head for
several years. She is a book publishing executive who was an editor of
magazines for nearly 15 years.She knows
firsthand the difference books make in people’s lives, and she has been
inspired to celebrate and share the stories behind the stories.

What inspired you to start the magazine?

I became involved with the magazine initially writing some of
the articles about authors and illustrators who have interesting stories. What
we thought would be a place to showcase the ways books have made a difference
in creators’ lives has evolved into an all-encompassing book conversation.We realized that there are some awesome
non-profit groups doing great things to promote books and literacy.We wanted to tell their stories. There are a
million ways books are shared and, in the sharing of the books, lives are
changed. We wanted to tell those stories too. Plus, there is a vibrant on-line
community expanding every single day where writers, illustrators, cover designers,
formatters, publishers, agents, publicists, and readers are engaging at a level
that has never before existed.We are
thrilled to be a part of that blossoming conversation.

Where do you find your stories?

We get our stories in a number of places. We each have some
pretty great connections through our own experiences, and then I do a lot of
research too. We meet for our editorial calendar planning, and we map out ideas
for compelling stories.I track down
people who we think would be interesting to cover. Sometimes I write the
articles myself, and sometimes I assign them to a freelance writer who is a
part of our team. I go to book fairs, networking meetings, and I float around
in online chatrooms regularly. We are establishing a presence on both Twitter
(@booksmake) and Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/ReadTheDifference and
through both of those outlets we have found some great stories.

What is something you would like your readers to know about you and your
magazine?

Being a part of this magazine feels like a great celebratory adventure.
We are inspired by the power of books...the stories of those who create them,
read them, and share them. We know we’ll never be able to read everything...nor
cover everyone, so instead of quantity we aim for quality of coverage. We want
to provide a more in-depth and intimate look at the inner workings of the book
world and the people who populate it.There is a lot of chatter available to folks who are interested in
books, we want to offer a slower pace to the book conversation.Instead of the fast-food drive-through
coffee...we want to sit by the fire with readers and slowly sip from a steaming
mug. That’s how we want our magazine to feel. It is truly awe-inspiring to be a
part of it.

What does your Readers Write email offer subscribers?

Those people who subscribe to our free Readers Write email
receive content from us monthly.The
magazine is published bi-monthly, but only subscribers to the email receive the
content that we publish every month.Subscribers
have a chance to engage in conversation that is a part of the Readers Write
column published in the magazine.Subscribers have access to exclusive content that is not published on
the magazine and there are occasional opportunities to win prizes.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Twenty-three year accountant, J.J. McDonnell, has spent her life trying to be normal and hide her gifts, but all dreams of normalcy are dashed on her twenty-fourth birthday. A handsome man shows up on her porch with a marriage edict and news that the grandfather she has never met, has died. Her world is about to change forever. J.J. must make the perilous journey to the Loch and take her place on its throne. With no idea what is expected of her and dark forces closing in at every turn, will J.J. be able to accept her destiny or will she be stopped before she can.

Monday, October 8, 2012

An attorney is called to jury duty. This trial will be one of unusual and supernatural circumstances. The existence of God is on trial. The Defense and the Prosecution present their cases and each juror must decide whether or not God exist.

My name is William Kensey. I have a wife and two great kids. Until very
recently, I was a well-respected and financially successful trial
attorney. I was also a man who was comfortable with his religion. I
preferred it served at arm's length from the pulpit on Sunday morning.
And would rather not discuss it the rest of the week. The circumstances
that led me to write A HIGHER COURT changed all that. The entire
experience was both bizarre and unavoidable. You see, I was summoned to
serve as a juror in an improbable trial -- a trial to determine whether
God exists. I know. You think that sounds ludicrous. I did, too . . .
until the trial began. Witnesses buried me under mountains of scientific
evidence. My own eyes forced me to confront the reality of extreme
human suffering. God seemed less and less relevant -- even absent -- as
the trial progressed. At the close of the trial, I had to render my
verdict -- "God" or "No God." Affirm a new and deeper faith in a
Creator, or confess the triumph of science. A HIGHER COURT is the story
of how I discovered my ultimate truth. If your mind is open, you can
join me in this journey of self-discovery. Come along. You won't be
sorry.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Betcher makes you feel as if you are in the court room. This read is a definite page turner.

I had the pleasure of interviewing this gifted author.

How long
have you been writing?

As a
lawyer for the past twenty-five years, daily writing was a part of my job. My
first foray into publication was in 2007, when I authored a feature article for
COACHING VOLLEYBALL: The Journal of the American Volleyball Coaches
Association. I was coaching girls high school and club volleyball at the time.
COACHING VOLLEYBALL published two more of my feature articles culminating with
a cover story in the April/May, 2009 Issue. Here's a link to the online
version of that issue:

A small
book on coaching philosophy, entitled The Little Black Book of Volleyball
Coaching, soon followed.

By this
time, my law practice was winding down and our daughters had departed for
college. Since I was no longer coaching their sports teams, attending their
concerts, academic activities and awards banquets, I had extra time on my
hands. That's when I began writing novels.

How did
you come up with the idea for A Higher Court?

While I
was writing my first two suspense/thrillers, I had this idea floating around in
my head. It would be a book that offered a counterpoint to recent publications
by "popular atheists," such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher
Hitchens. But rather than attempting a scholarly dissertation which, I believed,
would be unappealing reading for a mass audience, I decided to research the
major arguments for and against God's existence myself, then present the core
of those arguments in a format real people could identify with.

Eventually,
that "floating" idea gained urgency. I began to feel that God wanted
me to write this book. In fact, although it would have made much greater
worldly sense to write Book Three in the suspense series, I felt so
"called" to write A HIGHER COURT, that I couldn't focus on another
thriller until I had God's project out of the way.

Unlike my
experience with writing the other novels, I actually started writing A HIGHER
COURT with no idea how I would end it. I had decided that the book should make
use of my legal expertise. So a trial of some sort seemed appropriate.

Once the
research into the various "God arguments" was done, I just started
writing.

What
other books have you written?

I've
already mentioned my volleyball coaching book. In addition to that one and A
HIGHER COURT, I've now written and self-published four suspense/thrillers. I
refer to them as the Becker Suspense/Thriller Series, after the name of the
main character. Their titles, in chronological order, are: THE 19TH ELEMENT,
THE MISSING ELEMENT, THE COVERT ELEMENT and THE EXILED ELEMENT.They're not Christian literature, per se; but
they are quite "clean" books, considering the genre. There is a
minimum of violence, cursing and vulgarities. And there is no explicit sex at
all.

What do
you do when you aren't writing?

When I'm
not either writing or researching a book, I spend a good deal of time online,
building my author platform on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and
Google+. I also attend church where I play guitar and sing as a member of our
worship team. And my wife, Lynn, and I like to spend time together.

Are all
of your books self-published?

Yes. When
I began my publishing journey in 2009, traditional publishing was the only
respected route for publication. So I sent a lot of query letters to literary
agents hoping to find a representative to pitch my work to mainstream
publishers. Despite a couple hundred letters (emails, actually), I had no luck
finding an agent. Author friends warned me against self-publishing, saying
doing so would ruin my reputation. But times were changing, even then, and I
found self-publishing to be a viable option for me and my books.

What do
you like about being self-published and what do you dislike about being
self-published?

There are
lots of things I like about self-publishing. I have complete creative control
over the books and their content. I can bring new books to market much more
quickly than a traditional publisher could dream of. And I can reap the
financial rewards of my work.

Of
course, traditional publishing has its benefits, too. Agents and big name
publishers have access to marketing and distribution options I could only dream
of. They've got great editors and artistic designers on staff, and have the
financial professional ability to produce books of the highest quality.

The
biggest drawback to self-publishing, for me, is also its greatest strength --
in every aspect of publication, the buck stops with me. Sometimes I make rookie
mistakes. But then I learn from them and move on.

Do you
have any books planned for future release?

At
present, I've been researching what I hope will become Becker Book Five. The
plot is not yet fully formed. My consultants so far have included a NASA
scientist/engineer and a world class geneticist. I have confidence that, if this
is a book I am supposed to write, God will show me the way to an appropriate
plot.

Do you
have any advice for other writers?

The most
valuable quality for a writer is patience.

Where can
readers find you book(s)?

All my
books are available at Amazon.com in Kindle and print editions. Readers can
also order them from any book store. And my local sales outlet in my hometown
is the Red Wing Arts Association, where enthusiast can purchase signed
editions. Of course, I entertain special requests for signed books and quantity
discounts via email, which can be found at my website: www.johnbetcher.com.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Little Roni Publishers is proud to announce that Beth Rider is back. She's written the novel of her life and if Rakum gets a hold of her, her book may cost her life. Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider brings you the world of vampires unlike any vampire book you've ever read. Beth Rider, the main character, is being hunted by Rakum, the vampire underworld, but she risks everything to save the souls of the undead. Ellen C Maze writes with style and suspense.

What if your novel attracts the wrong kind of attention?

Author
Beth Rider's vampire novel has hit number one, but her fictitious plot
puts her in the crosshairs of an ancient race of vampiric beings known
as the Rakum. Spreading evil among mankind for thousands of years, the
leadership of this bloodthirsty race now has a singular focus: catch
Beth Rider—her very life in mortal jeopardy as she goes on the run, a
rabbit desperate to escape the worst of predators.

Facing the
most terrifying trial of her life against creatures known only in
fables, one simple woman will unintentionally threaten the very
existence of a powerful and accursed people. In the climactic mêlée, it
is a race to the death—or if Beth has her way, a race to the life—of
every Rakum who makes the choice

Pinterest

KF Ridley

Follow by Email

Followers

About Me

As a child, I was labeled as the kid with too much energy. Desperately, I did my best to conform to the ways of the world. Later, to realize I had to be myself. As a result, my imagination went wild.
These days,I funnel my energy, exuberance, and high-jinx into my debut series, The C. Walker Adventures, beginning with, The Curse of Yama. There’s no telling where my mind will take me–and you—next.
I live with my family in Mississippi, with my three dogs, five chickens, and pot belly pig.